Monday, August 29, 2011

Santa Digna Carmenere 2008. dark color, maceration obvious.. juicy with a nice smoky quality, something off a little off in the nose, but almost meaty on the palate..

RouteStock Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2008.. a company that sells wine with the name of the main thoroughfare for the region. Route 29 is the main highway in Napa.. not really thinking I would like this.. but.. typical nose for Cali Cab.. lots of juicy cassis and dark berry flavors.. long cedar finish.. pretty wine.. supposedly the run off from Quintessa winery

Stickybeak Syrah 2008... an australian term for nosy neighbor... dark purple in the glass.. and eveything I love in a Syrah... mouthfilling.. juicy and long meaty finish... one of those days were everything tastes good I guess

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Graziano Zinfandel Mendocino 2007... juicy with a good finish. not the briary version.. described as the bordeaux style of zin.. good acidity.. nice food wine

Monte Volpe Primo Rosso 2010... a blend of Cal-Italian white varietals. minerality and yet some creaminess..not that interesting when said and done..

Monte Volpe Primo Rosso 2007 on the other hand was all about bright fruit.. almost sweet...a little poirt like on the finish. very mouth filling

Monte Volpe Sangiovese 2006... surprising full bodied for the wine with this much age.. that being said.. anyone looking for the Italian experience will be disappointed. juicy and fruity...not much saddleleather and dirt here

Enotria Barbera Mendocino 2007 another calitalian or Italifornian...juicy and pretty...not afraid to be full bodied...interesting

Enotria Dolcetto 2007 meaning little sweet I have an affinity for this grape... this version follows suit with the other full bodied california versions.. ripe with up front fruit...nothing too subtle here

Chateau Bel Air Bordeaux 2008... i guess there must not be a hold on the name Bel Air or maybe its used with the different grammar signs.. this is not the one owned by the Rothschild family. fleshy and earth with some dried fruit...not bad but only buying 09 right now...a hot vintage.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Wein Prum Feinherb Riesling 2009 feinherb is the new halbtrocken or half dry. this riesling is slatey on the nose..light green apples on the palate...soft acidity

Von Hovel Estate Riesling 2008 very light color... light on the palate... and easy drinking riesling for sure.. has been in the market for a long time

Peay Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2009... the best pinot vintage ever....lots of depth in color and flavor... with a tea and tobacco hinted finish.. long finish

Novy Russian River Zinfandel 2009..juicy... a touch hot on the palate.. good fruit..some pepper and a long finish. not briary at all

Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.. high extraction in the color... good fruit... missing something on the middle it seemed but the finish came on strong with the last 10 seconds changing flavors..fun wine.

Dolcetto D'Alba 2008... italian for "little sweet" this is similar in flavor to a beaujolais.. a little green on the palate..but some nice raspberry comes through at the end...and a surprisingly long finish.

Brachetto D'aqui NV... one of my favorite dessert wines this bottle shows all the traditional flavors.. raspberry and creamy on the palate.. a moscato like nose of white flowers and stone fruits.. a good wine for anyone looking to get away from the sweet asti but stay on the soft side

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I in general enjoy Spanish wines, especially those represented by Jorge Ordonez and Eric Solomon. The wines seem to be a nice blend of old and new world styles.. fruit forward with hints of terroir.. with these wine represented by John Larachette (sp) the overall theme seems to be more old world... interesting but not a style I like.. or at least one that needs food.

Monte Vicor Cava Nv..some chardonnay.. strong yeasty mineral on the nose and very dry.. quick finish..none of the burnt aspirin taste that comes from this region though

Monte Vicor Garnacha 2008 light colored in the glass.. dirty and gritty.. hard fruit to get around

Vega Moragona Tempranillo2009.. from the Ribera del Jucar which had been part of LaMancha until recently. Because the floor fruit was different than mountain they designated this region. dark fruits.. grip and tannin.. earthy

Vega Moragona Vielle Vigne 2007... dark color.. old world nose.. good weight and fruit with a meaty finish.. this wine surprised me on the finish with a strong flavored finish.. the bottle may not have been as it could have been... a little maderized..

Malondro Montsant 2007...Grenache and Carignan earthy on the nose.. reminescant of a Sangiovese... saddle leather and soapstone.. fruit tannins but missing a little depth on the finish...

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Terrasses et Galets Blanc Cotes du Rhone 2009.. terraces and stones.. the things that make vineyards in the rhone valley stand out. a blend of grenache blanc, clairette and other white varietals.. this has all the earmarks of a white cote du rhone but missing some of the green olive.. a little viscous.. a touch sweet from the viognier. not a bad bottle but white cote du rhone is a hard sell...

Domaine du Cassard Blaye (Bordeaux) 2010... light and grassy on the palate.. a nice finish.. will replace the Mayne in the cold box

Domaine St Nicholas Lirac 2009 .. this had me at hello.. juicy with the right mix of iodine and meatiness.. a little rough on the palate but enhanced finish.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Domaine L'oustal Blanc Giacosa Minervois 2008... dark color.. a blend. that smells a little off on the nose , like it was corked or cooked... but an amazing finish so I am looking forward to trying it again

Fattori Soave 2007... for the age some minerality but starting to lose fruit.. still viscous in the glass though

Laird Pinot Noir Carneros 2009 Ghost Ranch darker ruby color.tea and cranberry on the nose..lots of fruit on the palate.. and acidity for the finish cranberry the main motivator..

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Martinelli Syrah Russian River Valley 2007. rich and unctious.. good fruit..nice finish with a tad bit of coffee and tobacco.. long finish.good fruit...maybe a little restraint. maybe just a little harshness on the finish.

Mr Riggs The Gaffer 09 McClaren Vale Shiraz .. interesting french stink on the nose..lots of blueberry .. pretty wine... and still somewhat finessed..i like this alot.

Dauvergne Ranvier Croze Hermitage 09...nose of bandaids and popcorn? good juice in the mouth but not a lot of fruit... quick finish.. some pepper but not as exciting as I had hoped.

Star Lane Merlot Santa Ynez 07....bright fruit on the nose..lots of grip on the palate... a bunch of tannin but fruit and wood... needs food but would work well with steaks and such.. nose of pencil box and graphite so I imagine it has a good amount of cab in the blend

Unity Chardonnay Sonoma 2009 golden yellow.. partial ml but nice and round... batonnage or stirring of lees adds to the creamy texture.. acidity and balance.. not a butter bomb

Unity Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 tight and tight.. green on the palate but I think that will open up after a few months in bottle.. trying to show fruit but the tannin was closed..maybe try again later in the year .

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Rudi Wiest is one of the leading importers of German wines into this market..

Becker Pinot Noir Pfalz 2008.. germany produces a lot of pinot noir...2nd only to france so they say.. and some of these vineyards were part of france? I know from the 1870's through the end of WW 2 these lands changed hands a couple of times..anyway a nice wine..pleasant if a little pedesterian. gives a good impression of value pinot noir

Monchoff (pronounced Mon-koff) Riesling Mosel 2010 light colored full bodied with good unctiousness. missing some of the nervosity...probably too hot outside to allow that to show well.. some of the wines even had a effervescence that was not supposed to be there.

JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich 2007 grown on blue slate and that shows in the nose.. petrol and roses.. with petrol winning.. very viscous and unctious.. heat still showing.. some tropical fruit on the finish... climate change may be giving these wines more sunshine but I feel some acidity is being lost ...again the heat outside on tasting these does not help show acid at all

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Consilience is a rhone wine varietal producer from the central coast that seems to get the varietals right.

Viognier Santa Barbara county 2007 rich and unctious. not sweet but honeyed.. a great wine for people wanting to explore this grape type.. pretty yellow in the glass

Grenache Blanc Santa Barbara 2007 beautiful... honeyed and gorgeous... try these wines to see what a grenache blanc is all about...

Consilience Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 2009 a little rusty purple in the glass.. lots of perfume and dried fruit on the nose.. concentrated flavors in the glass with the dried fruit coming through on the longish finish.. nice acidity

Syrah Santa Barbara 2008... maybe the one disappointment and that wasnt even true... it just seems that this region produces the type of syrah I love .. this wine is juicy.. with some coffee and cocoa notes but missing the depth that I was hoping for.. still tasty though

Petite Sirah Santa Barbara 2007 juicy and a touch of cedar on the nose... more california style than any previous wines. satisfying if somewhat short finish.. dark color in the glass ...nice enough extraction in color...

another new zealand winery in the market , to be one of the few producers who do single estate bottlings at the kim crawford price

Ara Sauvignon Blanc 2010 typical gooseberry nose, with a refreshing lift on the palate.. not as grapefruity as some New Zealand can be.. maybe a little weak on the mid palate and finish.. a touch watery

Ara Pinot Noir 2009 light color and surprisingly rich for the color... pretty nose of cinnamon and clove.. very tight on the palate as the flavors from the nose do not translate... am told it opens up and to be honest as hot as it is the wines were in a cooler that may have worked too well...I will pick up the Pinot Noir...maybe have it in the show in November